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Die-hard renovators will stop at nothing to save a buck—and we think that's terrific. Presenting our second annual roundup of penny-pinching advice from TOH readers

Money-Saving Tip #4

"I was renovating my fixer-upper, which was built between 1900 and 1920, and needed a countertop for a new peninsula in the kitchen. As we demolished interior walls, we found many intact 2x4s made of pine and realized these could be made into a counter easily. After removing all the lath nails, I drilled some holes through them, inserted threaded rods, and glued them together, using wood filler to make repairs where needed."